A Genealogical
Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England, Before 1692Volume #4Williams -
Williams

By James Savage

Special thanks to Robert Kraft and his assistant, Benjamin Dunning for scanning this book and to Warren Wetmore for perfecting the text and providing technical help in presenting this work for researchers to enjoy.

WILLIAMS,

*ABRAHAM,
Watertown, s. of William of the same, sw. fidel. 1652, m. a. 1659, Joanna,
d. of the first William Ward, had Elizabeth and William; liv. some time at
Cambridge vil. but rem. to Marlborough, was freem. 1666; had Lydia, b. 1669;
and John; was rep. 1679-81, and d. 29 Dec. 1712, aged 84; and his wid. d. 8
Dec. 1718, aged 90. ALEXANDER, Marshfield, of those able to bear arms in
1643. AMOS, Wethersfield, s. of Matthew of the same, had Amos, b. 1670;
Samuel, 1675; Elizabeth 1677; and Susanna, 1680, wh. all surv. him, and
[[vol. 4, p. 559]] he may have had more; and d. 20 Aug. 1683. His wid.
Elizabeth m. a. 1690, Thomas, Hollister of W.

ARTHUR, Windsor, freem. 1640, m. 30 Nov. 1647. Catharine,
wid. of Joshua Carter of W. had Zebediah only; rem. to Northampton 1659; and
d. late in 1673, or early next yr. his inv. being of 27 Mar. 1674. His wid.
m. William Branch. AUGUSTINE, Stonington, rem. early to Kenilworth, by w.
Hannah had Thomas; Hannah, b. 1680; Daniel, 1683; Bethia, 1686; and Matthew,
1688. His wid. m. John Browne. BELSHAZZAR, Salisbury, Coffin says d. 1651.
BENJAMIN, Boston, s. of Robert of the same, by w. Rachel had Nathaniel, b.
13 Apr. 1670; and by w. Ruth, had Benjamin, 2 Jan. 1673; by w. Rebecca had
Solomon, 4 July 1678; and if it be the same man, by w. Rachel had Elizabeth
7 May 1687; and Elizabeth again, 7 Jan. 1689. BENJAMIN, Taunton, s. of
Richard of the same, m. 18 Mar. 1690, Rebecca, perhaps d. of George Macy of
the same, had Rebecca, b. 27 Nov. foll.; Josiah, 7 Nov. 1692; Benjamin, 21
July 1695; and John, 27 Mar. 1699.

CHARLES, Preston, whose f. is not ascert.
m. Sarah, d. of George Geer of New London, had Mark. b. 12 Jan. 1689;
Hannah, 3 Feb. 1693; Isaac, 11 July 1694; Daniel, 2 Dec. 1696; David, 4 Nov.
1698; Jeradiah, 26 Oct. 1702, prob. d. young; Boaz, 10 Jan. 1706; and
Jeradiah, again, 12 Jan. 1710. DANIEL, Providence, not, I think, one of the
first proprs. as Coffin inform. Farmer, for he is not found among the freem.
of 1655, but he own. alleg. to Charles II. on 1 June 1668, m. 1 Dec. 1676,
Rebecca, d. of Zachary Rhoades, wid. of the sec. Nicholas Power, had Mary;
Roger, b. May 1680; Providence; Daniel; Peleg; Patience; and Joseph; but the
order of b. is not certain. He was s. of famous Roger.

EDWARD, Scituate 1643.
ELEAZER, Salem 1635, join the ch. 6 Aug. 1637; had w. Elizabeth and d.
Elizabeth bapt. 6 Apr. 1663, perhaps aft. d. of f. FRANCIS, Portsmouth, sent
over by Gorges and Mason, the patentees, 1631, and when their Gov. Neal went
home, they made W. the successor. He seems to have act. with discret. and
when Mass. acquir. the rule of the country he had authty. with Bradstreet

[[vol. 4, p. 560]]
and others to hold judicial power at Dover, as in our
first vol. of Rec. is seen. He was, however, atttract. to Barbadoes a. 1645.
FRANCIS, Boston, by w. Mary had Francis, b. 12 Oct. 1686. FREEBORN,
Providence, eldest s. of famous Roger, m. a Hart of Newport, of whose bapt.
name or her f's I kn. nothing, had Mary, b. a. 1663, wh. m. Gov. Samuel
Cranston. His wid. m. Gov. Walter Clark, as his third w. GEORGE, Salem,
freem. 14 May 1634, had Jonathan, bapt. 25 Dec. 1636; Samuel, 12 Aug. 1638;
Joseph, 10 May 1640; Bethia, 13 Nov. 1642; and George, 1 Sept. 1644; beside
elder ch. John; Mary; and Sarah; was made an offic. of the custom-ho. in the
Col. admin. 1654, and d. in the same yr. From his will of 23 Sept. 1654, of
wh. w. Mary and s,. John were excors. pro. Nov. foll. is seen, that Mary had
double portion "in respect of her infirmity." His wid. Mary d. the
same yr. her will of 1 Oct. ws pro. next mo. Mary m. Richard Bishop, and she
and two ch. are rememb. in will of her f. GREGORY, Isle of Shoals, was
constable 1674, says Farmer's MS. GRIFFIN, Boston, by w. Sarah had Sarah, b.
2 Jan. 1686. HENRY, Scarborough 1651, was one of the three betrust. by
Rigby, the patentee of a large province, as Assist. and selectman 1652 and
69, was wound. 10 Oct. 1676 at Saco. Of HENRY, wh. was in 1683, at Derby,
and d. 1687, I find not that he had fam. and for CHARLES of the same,

I kn.
nothing but as bef. said, and that in 1686, he was one of the petitnrs. for
gr. of the town of Preston. HUGH, Boston, hatter, call. also "a single
man," when he join. our ch. 1 Jan. 1642; freem. 18 May foll. was prob.
never m. at least his will of 21 Oct. 1674, ment. no w. or ch. but gives one
third of his est. to ch. of br. Hilton of Charlestown, and two thirds to his
sis. Mary Hale and her childr. On 12 Nov. foll. when the excors. friend
John, and sis. Hale renounce their trust, he is call. late of Block Isl. wh.
leads me to imagine him to be the one against wh. Caulkins, Hist. of New
London 248, says action for defamat. of his w. was 1665, brot. by Thomas
Beeby. *ISAAC, Newton, s. of Robert of Roxbury, was lieut. freem. 1685, by
w. Martha, d. of deac. William Parke of Roxbury, had Isaac, wh. d. 7 Mar.
1661, very young; Isaac, again, b. 11 Dec. 1661, bapt. 16 Mar. foll.;
Martha, 27 Dec. 1663; William, 2 Feb. 1665, H. C. 1683, min. of Hatfield,
ancest. of along line of disting. clerg.; John, 31 Oct. 1667, in wh. date
the error of Fam. Geneal. is correct, by Jackson; Eleazer, 22 Oct. 1669;
Hannah, 8 Oct. 1671; Elizabeth; the two last being lost from Fam. Geneal.;
and Thomas, 23 Dec. not as that book tells, Oct. 1673. By sec. w. Judith
Cooper, m. at Taunton, 13 Nov. 1677, had Peter, 31 Aug. 1680; Mary; Sarah, 2
Oct. 1688; Ephraim, 21 Oct. 1691; was rep. 1692, and aft. oft. but in favor
of this last ch. by influence of the mo. the f. wh. d. 11 Feb. 1707, had
made in 1704,
[[vol. 4, p. 561]]
an improp. convey. confirm. by his last will, wh. was set
aside. His wid. d. 1724.

ISAAC, Salem, cordwain. by w. Margery had Elizabeth
b. 23 Aug. 1660; Isaac, 20 Dec. 1662; Benjamin, 18 Mar. 1664; and Sarah and
Ebenezer of date not kn. but all ex. Benjamin nam. in the will of wid. 1702.
Elizabeth m. 1 Apr. 1678, Joseph Mansfield; and Sarah m. a Lander.
Ebenezer's w. is nam. in the will of his mo. but nothing of him or her has
reach. me. JAMES, a preacher at Plymouth, of wh. resid. that must have been
short, no acco. is found. JAMES, Hartford, serv. of Nathaniel Sanford, at
first, m. 1691, Sarah, d. of Thomas Richardson of Farmington, had James,
bapt. 1693; Hepzibah, 1696; Sarah, 1699; Samuel, 1700; Abigail, 1707; and
Daniel, 1710. He rem. to Wallingford, but date of his d. is unkn.

JENKIN,
Scarborough 1673. JOHN, Boston, ship carpenter, lately come to this country,
was hang. for murder, 28 Sept. 1637. JOHN, by Farmer seen at Piscataqua
1631, of wh. is no more told. JOHN, Scituate 1643, had prob. been some yrs.
in the Col. as Deane thot. he came with Hatherly in 1632, brot. s. John,
Edward, and d. Ann, perhaps also, younger d. Mary, and w. Ann. By his will
of 10 Dec. 1667, he names these, and permits us to infer, in connex, with
collat. knowledge, that Anthony Dodson, wh. m. 1652, Mary, was then d. that
Ann had been 1632, w. of John Barker, was then w. of John Pratt, and that
she, by the former h. had Deborah, then w. of William Burden, and John,
Abraham, and Mary Barker. JOHN, Newbury, had (perhaps by two ws.) Sarah;
John; Mary, b. 20 Sept. 1641; and Lydia, 15 Mar. 1643; prob. rem. to
Haverhill; had there b. Joseph, 18 Apr. 1647; Sarah, m. 5 May 1646, John
Ayer. His sec. w. was Jane, and his will of 9 Dec. 1670, was pro. 18 Mar.
1674. JOHN, Windsor 1639, m. 29 June 1644, Mary Burkly, if we follow Parsons
in his spelling, Geneal. Reg. V. 364; but a more practised eye reads the
name Brelly, Bralley, or Burlly, perhaps the same as Burleigh in our times;
and we gain no light from the early dwellers at W. had John, b. 26 Mar.
1646; Nathaniel, 25 Oct. 1647; Rebecca, 20 Apr. 1649; Hannah, 13 Apr. 1651;
Mary and Elizabeth tw. 5 Jan. 1653; Abiel, 2 Sept. 1655; and Abigail, 31 May
1658; and he d. 1665. Of the five ds. we kn. that Rebecca m. 1670, Obadiah
Cooley of Springfield; Hannah m. 1677, Nathaniel Bancroft of Westfield; Mary
m. 1678, John Gunn; Elizabeth d. in few wks.; and Abigail m. 1681, Edward
Griswold; Abiel may have d. unm.

JOHN, Salem, by w. Elizabeth had John, b.
29 May 1664; Henry, 29 June 1666; George, 2 July 1668, d. in few days; Mary,
25 Aug. 1669; George, again, 2 Mar. 1671; and Ruth, 4 Aug. 1674. His will of
22 Oct. 1696, pro. 15 Feb. foll. names w. Elizabeth (perhaps not the mo. of
the ch.); John; Elizabeth w. of Thomas Marston; Mary; Ruth, w. of Abraham
Purchase; and Sarah,
[[vol. 4, p. 562]]
d. of his s. Joseph. In 1690, he was aged 70, with w. ten
yrs. older, says Felt. JOHN, Boston, butcher, may be the testator, of whose
will, Dec. 1684, pro. 26 Mar. foll. speak. of two ds. Hannah (wh. was b. 27
Apr. 1661), and Sarah, wh. were m. to wh. only 5s. ea. is the beq. gives all
est. to w. Mary to bring up two younger ch. Rachel and Martha. It may be
read in Vol. VI. 492; but no other informat. is gain. of him, exc. that in
1673, he receives deeds of two est. in B. JOHN, Roxbury, s. of Robert of the
same, b. prob. in Eng. and no doubt eldest, d. 6 Oct. 1658, as is seen at
the Prob. off. when admin. was giv. to his f. nine days aft. It is observ.
that neither ch. nor town rec. ment. him. nor did the Fam. Genealogist, nor
Ellis, the histor. of the place, express any knowl. of ever hear. of such a
man. By the ch. rec. I find his d. (unless, wh. is not wholly unreasonabl.
the name be mistak. by the abbrev. for that of his f. Robert) Elizabeth in
full commun. bef. the d. of her f. but wh. was her mo. is unkn.

JOHN,
Scituate 1643, fit to bear arms, prob. s. of John of the same, was a capt.
d. 22 June 1694, aged 70. He serv. in Philip's war, and had command of a
comp. when the great Ind. sachem was k. His est. was good, but his will of
1691, names no w. nor ch. and to his relatives, serv. and friends, gives
freely. JOHN, Boston, s. of the first Nathaniel of the same, m. 1670. Ann,
eldest d. of Dr. John Alcock of Roxbury, as in the m. contr. of rec. Vol.
VI. 241, may be read; rem. to Newport, but first had at B. Mary; Ann;
Palsgrave; Nathaniel; and Arabella, as from hs will of 18 Apr. 1687 is
found, in wh. provis. is made for them, and ano. ch. expected. That instr.
was pro. 22 June 1688, before Francis Brinley, Esq. wh. had by Andros, been
constit. judge for that portion of his dominions; but it was requir. to be
rec. here in Boston, as in Vol. X. 329 appears. It refers to br. Nathaniel,
br.-in-laws, Zechariah Whitman, and made excors. w. with s. Nathaniel when
he should come of age. JOHN, Windsor, s. of John of the same, was in the
list of freem. 1669, m. 8 Aug. 1672, Bethia, d. of Thomas Parsons, wid. of
Thomas Mascall of the same, had Francis, b. 25 May 1673; and John and
Ebenezer, tw. 7 Jan. 1676. His w. d. 1681, and he m. 1686, wid. Esther
Egglestone; but it is unkn. whether he had more ch.

JOHN, Boston 1670,
styles hims. of Camberwell, Co. Surrey, late of London, merch. in B. but to
appropr. to ea. John severally, the births for the first sixty or seventy
yrs. on Boston rec. when the designat. of the parents, is barely, John and
Ann, John and Elizabeth John and Jane, John and Mary, thro. various generat.
must be undertak. with high presumpt. and would be abandon. with utter
despair. Oft. one John is blessed with a ch. b. in few wks. after ano. John
had obtain. the similar favor. JOHN, Haverhill, s. prob. of John of the
same, m. 9 Sept. 1661, Rebecca, d. of Anthony Colby of
[[vol. 4, p. 563]]Salisbury, had Sarah, b. 27 June 1662; Mary, 24 Nov.
1663; a d. prob. Rebecca, May 1666; a d. 1 Aug. 1668, d. in few days; Mercy,
4 Dec. 1669; Susanna, 11 Apr. 1672. His w. d. 10 June foll. and he m. 5 May
1675, Esther, wid. of John Bond of H. He took o. of fidel. 28 Nov. 1677, at
the same time with his br. Joesph; and he d. 30 Apr. 1698, leav. wid.
Esther. See Geneal. Reg. XII. 297. JOHN, Salem, s. perhaps of John of the
same, m. 8 Dec. 1686, Sarah Manning, d. prob. of Richard of Ipswich, had
Sarah, b. 18 Aug. 1689. Other ch. he had, perhaps by ano. w. to wit, Anstis,
25 Dec. 1700; John, 14 Nov. 1702; Henry, 2 Feb. 1705; Mary, 8 May 1706;
George, 14 Mar. 1708; and Richard, 27 Aug. 1710. JOHN, New London, is seen,
by Miss Caulkins, liv. on Groton side, and m. a. 1686, Jane, wid. of Hugh
Hubbard, d. of Carey Latham; but even her diligence could learn no more exc.
that he d. 3 Dec. 1741, at gr. age, as was his w. and left only s. Peter.

JOSEPH, Haverhill, youngest s. of the
first John of the same, took o. of alleg. 1677, m. 18 Nov. 1674, Mary Fuller
of Barnstable, d. of the first Samuel, had Sarah, b. 17 Nov. 1675, Mary, 29
Nov. 1677; John, 17 Feb. 1680; Hannah, 30 Sept. 1683; but no more is told of
him. MATTHEW, Wethersfield, by w. Susannah had Amos, b. 1645; Matthew, 1647,
d. soon; Matthew, again, 1651; and Samuel, 1653. Of him the Col. Rec. of
Trumbull tells no good, but that he seems to be d. in 1664. MATTHEW, Dover,
tax there 1657-1668, was perhaps br. of the first William of the same.
NATHANIEL, Boston, glover, as he grew to be, but call. laborer, on adm. to
the ch. 26 May 1639, freem. 13 May foll. by w. Mary had Ruth, bapt. 2 June
1639, a yr. old; Elizabeth 18 Oct. 1640, tho. town rec. says b. 21;
Nathaniel, 25 Sept. 1642, "a. six days old;" John, 18 Aug. 1644.
"a. three days old;" Mary, b. 30 Nov. 1646, and when bapt. 6 Dec.
foll. is call. "a. a day old;" and Hannah, bapt. 7 Jan. 1649.
"a. nine days old." He was held in good esteem, had fair est. and
d. 1661. His will was of 22 Apr. and his inv. of 7 May in that yr. His wid.
m. Peter Brackett of Braintree, d. Ruth m. Joseph Belknap of Boston, and
Mary m. John Viall, jr. of Braintree.

NATHANIEL, Windsor, s. of the first John of the
same, m. 3 Oct. 1681, Mary, d. of John Owen of the same, had Mary, b. 1682;
rem. to Westfield, there had Abiel, 23 Mar. 1684; Rebecca, 27 Sept. 1685;
Elizabeth 1687; John, 3 Nov. 1689, d. next yr.; Nathaniel, 25 Aug. 1691;
Abigail, 1693; Hannah; Keziah, 1701; Naomi, 1703; Orpha, 1706; and John,
again; and d. 1711. His wid. with two s. and nine ds. enjoy. his est. 1714,
and she d. 1750. NICHOLAS, Roxbury, freem. 1652, but he is not nam. by
Ellis, nor can I find any acco. of him, exc. that Robert in his will calls
him br. and beq. to him 30s. a yr. charg. upon the est. therein giv. to his
eldest s. Samuel. OWEN, Newport, among the freem. 1655, rem. in few yrs. to
Norwich, there d. 1682; and, it is said, that descend. are in Preston, wh.
was pt. of N. PARK, Lebanon, youngest s. of deac. Samuel of Roxbury, by w.
Priscilla had Bathsheba, b. at Roxbury, 28 Aug. 1701 (unkn. to the compiler
of the fam. geneal.), Samuel, John, Ebenezer, Eleazer, William, Theoda,
Sarah, Elizabeth and Martha; but the print. vol. gives no date to either s.
or d. yet tells that his w. d. in 1742, aged 71, and he only ten yrs. older
in 1751. Roxbury rec. gives John, b. 6 June 1706. RICAHRD, Saco, d. in Oct.
1636, engag. with Gov. Cradock, as "a clapboard cleaver," may be
the same who had been fined for drunk. in Mass. Mar. 1634, tho. the same
Vol. I. of our Col. Rec. shows the fine was remit. perhaps bec. it could not
be collect. four yrs. after.

*RICHARD, Taunton 1637, went from Salem,
whither Baylies I. 284, suppose. he came, bec. his w. Frances Dighton was
sis. of the first w. of Capt. Endicott, wh. is a sad error, as it was Gov.
Thomas Dudley's w. that was meant. Perhaps the historian of Plymouth was
misled in his assumpt. of the first resid. at S. by ano. suppos. that he was
br. of Roger; but either of these seem to me very improb. tho. not so wild
as the tradit. that he was a relat. of Oliver Cromwell. He was one of the
first purch. of the terit. from the Ind. and was the chief male inhab. for
many yrs. sprung from Glamorgansh. and m. it is said, by Emery I. 44, in
Gloucestersh. had ch. John, prob. d. young; Samuel, Joseph, Nathaniel, bapt.
7 Feb. 1641, Thomas, Benjamin, Elizabeth and Hannah; and not has date of b.
nor is there approxima. for any of the eight, exc. Elizabeth a. 1647, prob.
therefore one of the oldest half, wh. m. John Bird of Dorchester; Hannah m.
John Parmenter of Boston, as his sec. w. As it is very clear, that all these
ch. were b. long after he sett. at T. I. greatly distr. the tradit. of his
very early coming to our country, and more the Gloucestersh. w. He was rep.
1646, 8, 50, and sev. later yrs. but the time of his d. is not found.
Descend. have been num. and highly respect.

RICHARD, Boston, had Phebe, b.[[vol. 4, p. 566]]Aug. 1643; and Benjamin, Aug. 1645, if the substitute for
Robert in the rec. marg. of the vol. of births be adjudg. reasonable, when
the ch. rec. of the bapt. of Phebe, a. eight days old, on 3 Sept. 1643,
assigns her to Robert; and the same Robert had s. Benjamin, tho. the ch.
rec. has John, of Robert, bapt. 7 Sept. 1645. RICHARD, Branford 1646, had
Samuel, b. 13 Sept. 1655; and Daniel, 15 Apr. 1657; rem. to Fairfield 1658,
but soon rem. again, and it is not kn. to what place. One Richard was a town
officer, says Mitchell, at Bridgewater, in 1665. RICHARD, Stonington, or the
disput. Narraganset territ. 1670, in 1677 had long controv. with Isaac Hall,
a. lds at Misquamicut or Squamacuck, or such Ind. name now perhaps Westerly,
in wh. W. best H. at last.

RICHARD, Boston, by w. Bathsheba, had Joseph, b.
3 Dec. 1672, d. very soon; John, 24 Oct. 1673; and Joseph, again, 7 Mar.
1677. RICHARD, New Haven, a physician in 1691, of wh. no more is heard.
ROBERT, Roxbury 1637, freem. 2 May 1638, came, it is said, from Norwich, Co.
Norfolk, with w. Elizabeth by fam. tradit. nam. Stratton, and ch. Samuel,
Mary, if not more, as that ch. was five yrs. old, and I think ano. s. John
was a passeng. with his f. for clear is it, that he was not b. at R. where
the only b. appear, Isaac, 1 Sept. 1638; Stephen, 8 Nov. 1640; and in the
fam. geneal. is nam. also Thomas, by Ellis said to be b. after, and in the
Hist. said to have d. young; but I doubt both the authorities, as neither b.
nor d. after long search is found in the rec. of either town or ch. Still
the deficiency of rec. is seen in other respects, as the will of 26 Nov.
1685, names gr.ch. Deboroah Totman, and Elizabeth Robinson, for wh. I find
not the mos. so that we are uncertain, whether he had two ds. m. or three.
His eldest d. Mary m. Nicholas Wood; w. Elizabeth d. last of June, or 28
July 1674, by strange carelessness in the town rec. call. 80 yrs. old. when
she prob. was a dozen yrs. younger. He m. 3 Nov. 1675, Margaret, wid. of
John Fearing of Hingham, but whether he had a third w. is less certain, tho.
in fam. geneal. he is supplied with one, Miss Martha Strong, said to have d.
1704, in her 92d yr. He d. 1 Sept. 1693, in the first art. of his will
providing for the performance of the covenant with his w.

ROBERT, Boston, in
1641 was, with Edward Goodwin, lessee of Winisemet ferry, wh. may render it
prob. that he was s. of Thomas, adm. of the ch. 10 Apr. 1642, freem. 10 May
1643, had Joseph, b. July 1641, bapt. 17 Apr. 1642; Phebe, 3 Sept. 1643, a.
8 days old; John, 7 Sept. 1645, wh. d. young; and Benjamin. His will of 12
Oct. 1677, pro. 30 Jan. foll. gives lds. to his eldest s. Joseph and
Benjamin, beq. to d. Phebe Eglin and her childr. to the eldest s. of Joseph
and of Benjamin, and gr.d. Mary Eglin. ROBERT, Boston, of wh. I kn. no more
than is seen in the diary of Sewall, where he says, under 25 Aug. 1695,
"R. W. the grave-digger, bell-ringer,[[vol. 4, p. 567]]&c. &c. d."

ROBERT, Providence, tho. among
the freem. of 1655, and a br. of the noble founder of Providence, yet little
more is kn. of him, but that he was, ten yrs. later, sch.-master at Newport.
ROBERT, Killingworth 1667, was propound. to be freem. 1669, had a d. b.
1671, but no more is kn. of him. Ano. ROBERT was of Oyster Bay, L. I. 1650;
and Farmer MS. ment. one of N. H. as early as 1670, but he could not detain
him there, certain. not long eno. for any story of him to reach us. ROBERT,
Boston, by w. Margery, had Martha, b. 7 May 1672; Jonathan, 22 Sept. 1673;
Mary, 2 Dec. 1675; James, 20 Feb. 1678; Jacob, 19 Dec. 1679; Elizabeth 8
Nov. 1681; Robert, 13 Jan. 1686, prob. d. young; Hepzibah, 1 Nov. 1688; and
Robert, again, 3 Apr. 1691. Dr. Thaddeus William Harris, the late learned
libr. at our Univ. count. the b. of his ancest. deac. Jonathan Williams
eight yrs. too early. See p. 319 of the Geneal. and Hist. of the Williams
fam. ROGER, Dorchester 1630, came in the Mary and John, prob. with w.
Frances, req. adm. as freem. 19 Oct. of that yr. and was sw. on 18 May foll.
serv. on the jury 30 Sept. of the first yr. upon the k. of Bratcher by
Palmer, rem. early, prob. 1636 or 7, to Windsor, there was in good repu. had
comfort. est. serv. on the jury 1642, 3, and 4, lost his w. by d. 10 Dec.
1645. He soon aft. 1647, or in that yr. sold ho. and ld. and came back to D.
m. 1649 or be. Lydia Bates, d. of the first James, had Ebenezer, b. Jan.
1650, in that yr. call. hims. of Boston, when he sold ld. in D. to Thomas
Thaxter; but no more is told of him.

*ROGER, Providence, the great assert.
of relig. freedom, b. in Wales 1599, as uncert. tradit. says, and she would
make him, partly, as least, educ. at Oxford, where ano. Roger, or Roderic,
was adm. 30 Apr. 1624, wh. was s. of William, and by Felt in Eccles. Hist.
I. 147, resceiv. as our N. E. reformer, wh. to me, seems nearly impossib.
But a strong prob. is, that he was not be. earlier than 1605; and the fact
is, he was bred up at the Charter Ho. as in mod. days the sch. is call. but
when W. was there, Sutton's Hospital. On that foundat. he was chos. a
scholar 25 June 1621, and on 9 July 1624, again. an exhibition under powerf.
patronage. This we learn from Mrs. Anne Sadler, d. of the gr. lawyer, Sir
Edward Coke, in a collection of letters, at the library of Trinity Coll.
Cambridge, by Williams, writ. a. 1652, to her; she wrote on the back of one
of them (wh. had shocked her devotion to ch. and king) that her f.
"took such liking to him, that he put him to Sutton's Hospitall, and he
was the sec. that ws placed there," mean. perhaps by his gr. patron.

From this favor of Coke arose, prob. the tradit. that our benign. founder of
Providence had enjoy. the protection of the Lord Ch. Justic of the Common
Pleas, had been support. at the Univ. of Oxford, and stud. the law for a
profession under the great oracle of jurisprudence. But from[[vol. 4, p. 568]]Winthrop's Hist. we kn. he had been a minister. The exhibition obtain. in
the London Inst. 9 July 1624, seems to disprove his identi. with the stud.
ent. at Jesus Coll. Oxford in Apr. preced. and my ignorance of the rules and
customs of the Charter Ho. forbids me to speak with confidence. To write his
life and illustrate his charact. has long been felt as a duty by the
scholars of the beautiful city he found. and after serv. attempts more may
be said. Professor Elton, wh. serv. yrs. since publish his biogr. has had
means of discover. how he had been deceiv. as to the b. and educ. of the
amiable hero; and we hope for ano. ed. of his vol. If at either of the Eng.
Univ. he was educ. wh. seems very uncert. to me. Cambridge is entitl. to the
honor, rather than Oxford.

He came from Bristol, 1 Dec. 1630, in the Lion,
and reach. Boston 9 Feb. foll. with w. Mary; and in few wks. during wh. he
was desir. to settle in the ch. of Boston, by their unanimous choice, in the
spring. of 1631, as he tells, in a letter (most characteristic of the
writer, equal in value to any one in a thousand of our New Eng. epistles) to
Rev. John Cotton of Plymouth, print. in Mass. Hist. Transactions of the Soc.
1855-08 pp.

November 2000

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